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Collserola and Tibidabo for Kids

Wooded hills, natural and man-made surprises, including a fairground with 30 rides

Rating: 5 out of 5 by EveryTrail members

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: 3.4 miles

Duration: Unknown

Family Friendly

Overview :
Mount Tibidabo is the tallest point and one of the iconic symbols of Barcelona. When the sky is clear you can see both the famed... more » serrated peak of Montserrat and the snow-peaked Pyrenees on the horizon.

This is a tour that includes the lesser-known green aspects of Barcelona. The national park of Collserola covers 8,000 hectares of protected woodland and meadows and is Barcelona’s great green "lung."

In geographical terms, the mountain range incorporates two distinct biodiversities: the Euro-Siberian and the Mediterranean. Aside from the abundant flora that results from this, nature lovers will be keen to know the park is home to 190 species of animals including squirrels, foxes, the occasional wild boar and a wide variety of bird life. less «

Tips:
Take the FCG Train on the Terrassa-Sabadell line from Placa Catalonia and get off at the Baixador de Vallevidrera station to start... more » this tour.

Bring water and wear good walking shoes. Sunscreen is advisable in summer.

If your children are too young for hill walking, you can ascend to the amusement park and church at Tibidabo via the funicular (mountain railway) at Vallevidrera. less «

Points of Interest

1. Església de Santa Maria

The church of Santa Maria de Vallvidrera was built between 1540 and 1587 in the Gothic style. It sits on a site where a religious building had previously stood. For centuries Vallvidrera was a sparsely populated rural farming community. As the city of Barcelona grew in the 19th century, the higher altitudes of the Collserola hills and verdant... More vegetation provided an attractive place to spend the hot and humid Barcelona summers.

The rise in importance of the town of Vallvidrera was closely linked to the church Santa Maria Vallvidrera. An ancient document from 987 refers to the church, which then belonged to the parish of Valldoreix. The construction of the Gothic building marks the time when Vallvidrera became an independent parish in the 13th century.

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2. Verdaguer House and Museum

Begin this tour by taking the S1 or S2 FGC train from Placa Catalunya in the center of Barcelona and get off at Baixador de Vallvidrera Station. From here it is a pleasant 10-minute walk up to the woods to reach the start of our trail. Come out of the station and walk up hill, bearing left into Carretera de l'Església. (There is a helpful... More information board just outside the station.)

As you breathe in the fresh air and start to understand the allure of this quiet suburb just 15 minutes from the center of Barcelona, an 18th century manor will come into view from behind the trees.

Old farmhouses, such as Villa Joana, are part of the charm of the Collserola National Park. This is where the celebrated poet Jacint Verdaguer spent the last days of his life and was converted into the Verdaguer Museum in Vallvidrera. Rooms occupied by Verdaguer during the last days of his life have been preserved intact to provide an accurate picture of middle-class life in this part of Spain at the turn of the 20th century.

Children can enjoy the aspect of the house being trapped in time and imagine what it was like to live here 100 years ago.
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Admission
Free
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Hours
Saturday, Sunday, holidays 10am-2pm
Tuesday-Friday Group tours by prior arrangement
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The next point of interest--the Collserola Information Center--is 100 meters from here on the same street.Less

3. Information Center

This is the park's central information center. It offers general information, permanent exhibitions, videos and audiovisuals, and suggests activities and routes within the park. Hikers can obtain trail maps here and make use of well-marked paths. The walks range from short strolls into the woods to more demanding two-hour circular hikes.... More Particularly beautiful is the walk to the Font de Budarella, a spring with an attractive landscaped area around it.
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Hours
Monday-Sunday 9:30am-3pm
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Then, nature urges satisfied, amble 20 minutes along the winding Vallvidrera-Tibidabo road to the Torre de Collserola.Less

Whenever you turn around in Vallvidrera, you are blessed with a vista either over the city, down to the sea or over the huge Collserola Park behind the city. No more so than here at Barcelona's communications tower.

For those who have noticed this quirky architectural structure from down below in Barcelona, this close encounter with space-age... More design is sure to delight.

The futuristic communications tower provides the highest viewpoint over the city. The tower was built for the 1992 Olympic Games and designed by British architect Norman Foster. The tower won the prestigious 1993 FAD Award for architectural design.

The structure, principally used as a TV and radio transmitter, has an antenna that reaches 288.4 meters (946 feet). The top of the 13-story pod is 152 meters (499 feet) high. On the 10th floor of the pod is a viewing gallery open to the public.

Aside from the splendid views there is a restaurant to reward the adventurous climber.

Opening times vary, so check the website before you make your trip.
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Admission
5 Euros
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Just a five-minute walk from the Torre de Collserola is the amusement park of Tibidabo.Less

Tibidabo Amusement Park boasts views of the whole of Barcelona from the mountains to the sea.

The charming hilltop fairground dates from 1889 and although it continually invests in new attractions, it still retains an aura of another age. A quirky destination, the park is well loved for its vintage rides including the Talaia, which dates from... More 1921 and rises up slowly and gently 50 meters above the plaza below; the Avió, or plane, which is the world's first flight simulator; and the haunted castle, the Castell Misteriós.

Newer rides include a hot air balloon ride that appeals to younger children and the 80-kilometer per hour roller coaster more suited to older ones. There are also puppet shows at the Marionetarium and daily circus parades.
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Admission
Adults 25.20 Euros
Kids 9 Euros
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Hours vary; check website
Daily Cami Cel (classic rides)
Weekends Parc d'Atraccions (newer rides)
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Occupying the same enviable position at the top of the mountain is the Church of the Sagrat Cor.Less

6. The Church of the Sagrat Cor

The Neo-Gothic church of the Sagrat Cor stands in the Plaça del Tibidabo. Designed by the architect Enric Sagnier, its key feature is a gilded statue of Christ, his arms outstretched toward the city beneath. The church, situated immediately adjacent to Tibidabo Amusement Park, offers a breathtaking, panoramic view of Barcelona.

The idea... More of building a temple at the stunning summit of Tibidabo Mountain came about in the late 19th century and construction of a small hermitage building began there in 1902. It was finally completed in 1961.

The name Tibidabo derives from two Latin words, "tibi" and "dabo," meaning "I give to you." The phrase references a Bible passage about the devil's temptation of Christ.

Take the lift up to the church and take a look from the top for panoramic views.
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Admission
2 EurosLess

Operating since 1901, this funicular railway is the perfect way to descend the mountain in style. The Art Deco vehicle offers occasional glimpses of the city below as it travels through pine forests to Plaça Doctor Andreu, where the funicular terminates.

Built for the sole purpose of taking people up the slopes of Tibidabo to the theme... More park, the funicular station is located close to the amusement park on Tibidabo Mountain.
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Tickets
3 EurosLess

The CosmoCaixa Science Museum is a cultural highlight located in a handsome Modernist building at the foot of the Tibidabo Mountain.

To reach the museum from the amusement park high, you can descend by foot via the road--which is a relatively easy 30-minute stroll and allows you to see some interesting Barcelona mansions--or take the funicular.... More The latter may be advisable for young children. Take the funicular from the Tibidabo stop to the base stop of Plaça del Doctor Andreu. This, at the top of Avenue de Tibidabo, is where you can then take the vintage Tramvía Blau (Catalan for Blue Tramway) a few stops to the museum. You can't miss where to get off: There is a submarine displayed in the middle of the road and the prominent building of the CosmoCaixa is just behind it.

Geared toward children, the museum aims to communicate the wonder of science in the most engaging way possible. Hands-on acitivities allow children to touch and experience the joys of our natural planet.

A recreation of the Amazon Rainforest with 1,000 square meters of rainforest ecosystem features piranhas, poisonous frogs, crocodiles, and other animal and plant species. There is a mind-boggling geological wall of real rock representing the bona fide stuff our planet is made of and an impressive planetarium. These major draws are another reason to visit the slopes of Tibidabo.
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Admission
3 Euros
First Sunday of month Free
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Hours
Tuesday-Sunday 10am-8pm
Closed Mondays (except holidays), Dec. 25, Jan. 1Less

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